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Vikings | Kirk Cousins on point in 2020 Sun Jun 27, 10:49 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins was on target on 81.3 percent of his throws in 2020 - the best mark among quarterbacks with at least 50 pass attempts - according to Pro Football Reference.
| Footballguys view: Cousins knows the Shanahan/Kubiak offense like the back of his hand. The comfort level in the offense gives him great confidence as a passer, and Cousins has some great targets to throw to. With Klint Kubiak taking over for his father Gary as OC in 2021, expect more of the same from Cousins and the Vikings passing attack. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins picked apart single coverage in 2020 Sun May 23, 10:56 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins ranked third in the league with 1,825 passing yards and fourth with 22 touchdown passes when targeting single coverage last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
| Footballguys view: Cousins did that in large part due to the play-action passing and the quality weapons like Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. With Klint Kubiak taking over the reins from his father Gary as the Offensive Coordinator, the system will stay the same and the production should follow suit. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins is durable Mon Mar 1, 11:05 AM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has missed just one of his last 96 games due to injury.
| Footballguys view: Cousins knows how to 'self sack' in order to avoid punishment. When he's roughed up, Cousins has shown the mental toughness to bounce back and he doesn't 'see ghosts' as a passer. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins plays every snap Sun Feb 28, 01:53 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins was on the field for every offensive snap this season.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins shines down the stretch Sun Feb 7, 06:11 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins' 2,410 passing yards and 20 touchdowns from Week 10 to Week 17 were both the second most of any quarterback.
| Footballguys view: Cousins thrived passing the football down the stretch. We'll see how he does this year in a new offense since Gary Kubiak (last year's OC) has retired. |
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49ers | San Francisco contemplating Kirk Cousins? Mon Feb 1, 02:01 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins 'is a name to keep an eye on' as a potential trade candidate, according to sources. Per those sources, the San Francisco 49ers will push hard to acquire Cousins if the Vikings are open to dealing him.
| Footballguys view: Cousins would be able to step in and run the offense from day one. That's the same Kubiak/Shanahan offense that he runs in Minnesota. We'll see if the Vikings have any interest in moving on from Cousins this year. |
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Vikings | Minnesota's offense plays well in Week 17 Sun Jan 3, 05:08 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins went 28-for-40 for 405 yards and three touchdowns against the Detroit Lions in Week 17. He also recorded a rushing touchdown during the game. RB Alexander Mattison rushed for 95 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries and also caught three passes for 50 yards and one touchdown. WR Justin Jefferson caught nine passes for 133 yards on 12 targets and WR Adam Thielen caught four passes for 57 yards on five targets.
| Footballguys view: Cousins set a career high for passing touchdowns in a season with 35 and Jefferson set the Super Bowl era rookie record for receiving yards in a season. The Vikings could have easily been a playoff team this year if it weren't a few inexplicable close losses and they should be better next season with a more settled defense than the one that went through transition during the season this year. |
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Vikings | Three touchdowns for Kirk Cousins Fri Dec 25, 08:24 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins went 27-for-41 for 291 yards and three touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints in Week 16.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins shaky in road loss Sun Dec 13, 09:20 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 24-of-37 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he rushed five times for 41 yards.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins goes over 300 yards again Sun Dec 6, 08:40 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 28-of-43 passes for 305 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the Week 13 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins tosses three more TDs Sun Nov 29, 07:51 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 34-of-45 passes for 307 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 12 against the Carolina Panthers and he ran for 19 yards.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins tosses three touchdowns Sun Nov 22, 11:30 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 22-of-30 passes for 314 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 11 against the Dallas Cowboys and he rushed for four yards.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins gets off MNF schneid Mon Nov 16, 11:53 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 25-of-36 passes for 292 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears, picking up his first-career win on Monday Night Football after starting out 0-9.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins tosses three touchdowns Sun Nov 8, 10:45 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 13-of-20 passes for 220 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins hands it off a bunch in Week 8 Sun Nov 1, 09:11 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins passed only 14 times in Week 8, at the Green Bay Packers, completing 11 throws on Sunday, Nov. 1. He finished with 151 yards and a touchdown without turning over the ball in a game that saw Minnesota run 34 times.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins' job on the line? Mon Oct 19, 11:19 AM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins said after throwing three interceptions in Week 6: 'The reality is if the pace I'm on in terms of the interceptions, if that were to continue, I won't finish the season,' Cousins said. 'I won't - you know what I mean? There's a little bit of, you got to improve. Whether it's them telling me, 'Hey, we gotta improve,' or them pulling me; we got to get better. That's what the rest of the season will be about for me is trying to protect the football as best I can. Because when you turn the ball over, it really hurts your chances to win. I know that. I just need to improve as we look ahead to the rest of the season.'
| Footballguys view: We'll see what kind of changes the Vikings offense makes during their Week 7 bye. They come back in Week 8 in a big game against the Packers and Cousins should perform like a QB2 for Fantasy GMs. Getting RB Dalvin Cook back in Week 8 will greatly help this offense and the performance of Cousins. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins throws three TDs, three INTs Sun Oct 18, 06:06 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins went 24-for-36 for 343 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.
| Footballguys view: Cousins was great during garbage time for the second time this year, but in the first half his play was simply garbage. The Vikings have run their course with him at quarterback, but they signed him to an extension in the offseason, so it will be a story to follow this offseason since Nick Foles proved that most starting quarterbacks with a track record of any success can be dealt to a needy team. The 49ers make sense as a potential 2021 destination. |
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Vikings | Another uneven game for Kirk Cousins Mon Oct 12, 12:24 AM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 27 of 39 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Oct. 11. Cousins also fumbled twice, losing one.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins throws for 260 yards, TD Sun Oct 4, 06:40 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 16-of-22 passes for a season-high 260 yards and one touchdown in Week 4 against the Houston Texans.
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Vikings | Three scores for Kirk Cousins Sun Sep 27, 10:10 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 16 of his 27 pass attempts for 251 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 31-30 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 3.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins struggles against Indy Sun Sep 20, 04:41 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins went 11-for-26 for 113 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2.
| Footballguys view: Cousins was miserably bad in a dominant performance by the Colts offense. The Vikings seriously miss Stefon Diggs and should be considered one of the worst offenses and teams in the league heading into a matchup with Tennessee. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins rounding into form Wed Aug 26, 09:25 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has 'dialed in his accuracy' over the course of training camp, according to Arif Hasan of The Athletic.
| Footballguys view: Cousins is in a system he knows well (Shanahan/Kubiak) and works well from within the pocket or throwing on the run. His accuracy has never been a problem, so dial it in all he wants, Cousins needs to get better at winning. The Vikings have committed to him and have weapons around him. It's time for that to pay off with a deep playoff run. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins shined outside pocket Sat Jul 18, 12:50 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins earned a 84.1 Pro Football Focus passing grade on throws outside the pocket in 2019 which ranked second among quarterbacks.
| Footballguys view: The Vikings pass offense doesn't ask Cousins to freelance often, but he has been better than his reputation would suggest in this area of the game. He's still only a draft consideration in 2QB/Superflex leagues with the Vikings reliance on the running game to make their offense go. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins went deep for touchdowns Thu Jul 9, 05:05 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins led the NFL with an average depth of target of 19.2 yards on touchdown passes in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus.
| Footballguys view: Stefon Diggs was certainly part of this equation and because he's gone, that number should drop this year. Odell Beckham could benefit from the deep play action shots that Diggs reeled in under Kevin Stefanski last year now that Stefanski is the head coach of the Browns. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins saw plenty of favorable coverage Thu Jun 18, 09:07 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw a league-high 135 passes with at least eight defenders in the box in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus.
| Footballguys view: That's what a Gary Kubiak offense gets you. The Vikings want to use wide zone running to keep the attention of the defense. That leads to defenders jamming up the box. |
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Vikings | Dalvin Cook's impact on Kirk Cousins Tue Jun 16, 08:45 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 65.5 percent of his passes, averaged 7.3 yards per pass attempt, threw 10 touchdowns versus five interceptions and recorded a passer rating of 94.8 when RB Dalvin Cook was not on the field in 2019. Conversely, Cousins completed 71 percent of his passes, averaged 8.5 yards per attempt, threw 16 touchdowns versus one interception and recorded a passer rating of 114.3 when Cook was on the field.
| Footballguys view: Cook helps Cousins because teams are concerned about the run. The Vikings have a Gary Kubiak offense and that's all about play-action passing and running the ball more than most others in the NFL. Expect more of the same in 2020. |
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Vikings | Dalvin Cook helps out Kirk Cousins Tue Jun 16, 04:33 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw five interceptions on 165 pass attempts without RB Dalvin Cook on the field in 2019, according to Next Gen Stats. Cousins threw just one interception on 279 pass attempts when Cook was on the field.
| Footballguys view: Cook helps Cousins because teams are concerned about the run. The Vikings have a Gary Kubiak offense and that's all about play-action passing and running the ball more than most others in the NFL. Expect more of the same in 2020. |
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Vikings | Over the middle not an issue for Kirk Cousins Mon Jun 15, 09:28 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins posted a passer rating of 129.2 on throws over the middle of the field in 2019, according to Inside Edge NFL.
| Footballguys view: Cousins works in a Gary Kubiak offense. That system is all about running the ball to set up play-action passing. Using a play-action fake doesn't always mean firing shots down the field. It can also mean looking to middle routes to chip away at the defense. The team traded away WR Stefon Diggs but they added slot WR Justin Jefferson in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. Cousins should continue to dominate the middle of the field this season. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins highly valuable to Vikes Thu Jun 4, 09:43 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has been the team's most valuable player of the past decade, according to Pro Football Focus' WAR.
| Footballguys view: Cousins might not have vaulted the Vikings to a Super Bowl, but he has leveled off the quarterback play in Minnesota and he's a good fit in the offense. If he became available, Kyle Shanahan would likely pounce to put him at the helm of his offense. Cousins is boring for fantasy because of the run-heavy nature of the Vikings offense, but he has been very efficient. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins made it easy for his receivers Sun May 24, 05:49 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw a catchable ball 78.8 percent of the time in 2019 - tied for the third-best mark by a quarterback with at least 300 pass attempts.
| Footballguys view: The play-action passing game from a Gary Kubiak offense helps. It also helps that Cousins usually gets rid of the ball on time and does not have to rush his throws. They traded away Stefon Diggs this offseason to the Bills, but they added a wide receiver in the first round when they selected Justin Jefferson out of LSU. We'll see how Jefferson works out with Cousins in 2020. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins made it happen on play-action Sun May 17, 05:45 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw for a league-high 13 touchdowns on play-action passes in 2019, according to USA TODAY's Doug Farrar.
| Footballguys view: It's a Gary Kubiak system with the Vikings, so of course it features a ton of play action. Cousins is capable of faking a handoff then rolling out to find his receiver. This offense gives the quarterback three options (throw deep, throw short, run) on one side of the field (the rollout side) regularly. When executed properly, it's a tough offense to defend. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins notes Christmas Day schedule quirk Thu May 7, 08:37 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins offered up his thoughts on his team's Christmas Day game against the New Orleans Saints, noting the peculiarity of having to play on a Friday. 'I haven't played on a Friday since high school. That will be interesting,' Cousins said.
| Footballguys view: Cousins is a little quirky as a guy, so it's a schedule quirk he would notice. The league is going to have only one game on Christmas but it's a doozy. Vikings at the Saints is going to be must-see TV on Christmas afternoon. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins cozy in pocket last season Sun Mar 29, 06:25 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins enjoyed a league-high average of 2.7 seconds in the pocket in 2019.
| Footballguys view: Cousins is set up by play-action passing in the Gary Kubiak offense. That type of comfort level in the pocket is helped by the design of the system. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins terms Mon Mar 16, 11:14 AM
Updating an earlier report, Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins' two-year extension is worth $66 million.
| Footballguys view: The deal includes $10 million in new money and provides $10 million in salary cap relief. He's guaranteed $61 million in 2020 and 2021 and an additional $35 million guaranteed for injury. That converts to fully guaranteed in 2021. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins extended Mon Mar 16, 10:29 AM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins agreed to a two-year contract extension Monday, March 16, according to agent Mike McCartney. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
| Footballguys view: Cousins was entering the final year of his $84 million contract, so the Vikings gave him a two-year, $66 million extension. This move lowers Cousins cap number in 2020 and it keeps him signed through the 2022 season. The Vikings are in a playoff window with Cousins running the show, but we'll see if they can get over the top and become Super Bowl contenders in 2020 and beyond. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins shows well at Pro Bowl Sun Jan 26, 05:52 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 13-of-22 passes for 181 yards, two touchdowns and one interception at the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 26
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Vikings | Minnesota sees 2019 season end Sat Jan 11, 07:31 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins went 21-for-29 for 172 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round playoff game. RB Dalvin Cook rushed for 18 yards on nine carries and caught six passes for eight yards during the game. WR Stefon Diggs caught two passes for 57 yards and one touchdown on five targets. WR Adam Thielen caught five passes for 50 yards on seven targets. TE Irv Smith caught three passes for 39 yards on three targets, while TE Kyle Rudolph caught two passes for four yards on three targets.
| Footballguys view: It was a good run for the Vikings this season. They failed to make the palyoffs last year but made it to the Divisional Round this year. Next season, in the final season of Kirk Cousins contract, the Vikings are hoping to make the NFC Championship at least. We'll see if they can make that happen. This offseason, the secondary is a part of the team they'll need to improve to make that run. |
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Vikings | Minnesota moving on to next round Sun Jan 5, 04:36 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins went 19-for-31 for 242 yards and one touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card playoff game. RB Dalvin Cook rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries and caught three passes for 36 yards. RB Alexander Mattison rushed for 20 yards on five carries and caught one pass for 10 yards. WR Adam Thielen caught seven passes for 129 yards on nine targets. TE Kyle Rudolph caught four passes for 31 yards and one touchdown on seven targets, while WR Stefon Diggs caught two passes for 19 yards on three targets.
| Footballguys view: Cousins was able to make big plays when it counted...essentially for the first time in his career. He was not known for making plays in big or primetime games but Cousins was money on Sunday. The Vikings ran the ball well and controlled the tempo of the game with their rushing attack. It will be a battle of two similarly structured offenses in the Divisional Round as they take on the 49ers. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins to be rested Sun Dec 29, 10:28 AM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins will be rested during Week 17's game against the Chicago Bears, since the team has nothing to play for this afternoon, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
| Footballguys view: Sean Mannion will get the start if the team decides to not play Cousins at all. The Vikings don't have a lot of momentum right now but it doesn't seem to be influencing their decisions about Week 17 playing time. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins in limbo for finale Thu Dec 26, 02:27 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins told reporters Thursday, Dec. 26, that he doesn't know how much or if he will play in Week 17 versus the Chicago Bears until closer to kickoff.
| Footballguys view: This likely goes for any key Minnesota starter such as Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph and any number of players on defense. The Bears will be playing a team that looking ahead to the wild card round. Sean Mannion should get the majority of snaps for the Vikings at quarterback. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins winless on Monday nights Tue Dec 24, 12:38 AM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 16-of-31 passes for 122 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers, falling to 0-9 for his career on Monday Night Football.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins has quiet afternoon Mon Dec 16, 12:18 AM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 19 of 25 passes for 207 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Dec. 15. Cousins also gained 14 yards on three rushing attempts.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins not a road warrior Sat Dec 14, 10:05 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins faces the Los Angeles Chargers on the road in Week 15, and Cousins ranks 20th in the NFL with a 49.4 Total QBR in road games this while ranking fourth with a 75.4 Total QBR in home games.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins throws for 242 yards, TD Sun Dec 8, 06:41 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 24-of-30 passes for 242 yards, one touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 14 against the Detroit Lions.
| Footballguys view: Cousins was efficient but didn't need to press the issue with the Vikings in control the whole way. If Adam Thielen can get back for next week's game against the Chargers, Cousins could be in streamer consideration. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins doesn't care for primetime Mon Dec 2, 11:26 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 22-of-38 passes for 276 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a Week 13 road loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He is now 0-8 all-time on Monday Night Football, the worst record in NFL history.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins tosses three TDs Sun Nov 17, 06:10 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 29-of-35 passes for 319 yards, three touchdowns in Week 11 against the Denver Broncos.
| Footballguys view: Cousins had an outstanding second half after a terrible first half. He was able to connect with Stefon Diggs for big plays and hit both of his tight ends for touchdowns. He'll be a high floor/low ceiling QB1 going into the bye. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins plays error free on SNF Mon Nov 11, 12:10 AM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 23 of 32 passes for 220 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions during the team's Week 10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins tosses three touchdowns Sun Nov 3, 07:26 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 19-of-38 passes for 220 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
| Footballguys view: Cousins failed to lead a comeback win yet again as a Viking. He was still a strong fantasy play and not really the reason the Vikings lost. They'll have another tough road game at Dallas next week. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins efficient in win Thu Oct 24, 11:22 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 23 of his 26 passes for 285 yards and rushed twice for two yards in a 19-9 win over the Washington Redskins in Week 8.
| Footballguys view: The Vikings settled for four field goals and Stefon Diggs fumbled in Washington territory to take the oomph out of a very efficient performance. Cousins will be streamable against the Chiefs next week. |
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Vikings | Kirk Cousins stays hot Sun Oct 20, 08:59 PM
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 24 of his 34 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-30 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 7, his second straight game with four touchdown passes.
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